Community

I am laughing as we begin this whole blogging thing... communication in our world has gone crazy. The internet and cell phones have absolutely revolutionized the way we live and connect. I wonder what Amish folks or desert people would think about our lifestyles... these people still travel on horseback or walk for a good day just to get to town and buy some groceries. It's a lot more work to go over to someone's house to visit for an afternoon... but then again, they take the time to do it. With our crazy, instant avenues of communication has come a pace of life that is hard to keep up with. Solitude and quiet are almost gone. A relaxing Saturday afternoon is easily stripped away with piles of work that need to be accomplished. I guess I just want to be careful that the pace of the world does not define my life for me. I do not want to lose the value of personal, face-to-face contact and the refreshing, life-giving substance of silence where God seems to speak the loudest. I do not want to be a relationally shallow person. It's not that I wish I could "bring back the old days." After all, I do like the amazing convenience of the internet and cell phones. At the click of a button, everyone in the entire world who has internet access will be capable of instantaneously accessing what I'm writing down here. Not only that, but as I type, I am jamming to Red's "End of Silence" album (which is really good, by the way)... all in the convenience of my little lap-top computer which is portable and weighs maybe 5 pounds. I can also call my sister on my cell phone, who lives in Germany, from just about anywhere I'm standing and it'll sound through the phone like she's in the next room. Or I can get on Skype and literally have a "live" face-to-face conversation through the computer. Amazing.

We launched a new small group last night, which is what got me thinking about all this. For those unfamiliar with the term, a small group is a small community of people who come together consistently to grow in friendship with each other and with God. With a new group starting comes lots of excitement, the possibilities of new friendships, and the possibilites of deep and lasting change through a community that begins to know your heart and love and support you. Lisa and I just came out of a previous small group where some wonderful friendships were formed as well as some deep spiritual growth. And after last night's wonderful meeting with our new group, I am reminded of the deep ache for friendship and intimacy and for the body of Christ. I am thankful for email and cell phones but nothing beats flesh and blood contact.